Automatic system for power and data redundancy in a wired data telecommunications network

• US 20060092826A1
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cafiero, Luca, Karam, Roger A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0604 using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time

Abstract

Redundancy of data and/or Inline Power in a wired data telecommunications network from a pair of power sourcing equipment (PSE) devices via an automatic selection device is provided by providing redundant signaling to/from each of the pair of PSE devices, and coupling a port of one PSE device and a redundant port of the second PSE device to respective first and second interfaces of a port of the selection device. The selection device initially selects one of the two PSE devices and communicates data and/or Inline Power to a third interface of the selection device. A powered device (PD) coupled to that third interface communicates data and/or Inline Power with the selected one of the first and second PSE device through the selection device. Upon detection of a condition, such as a failure condition, the selection device may select the other of the two interfaces.

Claims

1. A method for providing redundancy to a port of a wired data telecommunications network, the method comprising:

coupling a first interface of a first port of a redundancy selection device to a first port of a first data telecommunications device;

coupling a second interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device to a first port of a second data telecommunications device;

coupling data and/or power received over the first interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device to provide data and/or power to a third interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device;

detecting a failure in the flow of data and/or power; and

activating the redundancy selection device in response to said detecting to subsequently use data and/or power received over the second interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device to provide data and/or power to the third interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

except for the portions of signals unique to the first data telecommunications device and the second data telecommunications device, providing identical data signals to the first port of the first data telecommunications device and to the first port of the second data telecommunications device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said detecting detects a failure in the flow of data and/or power between the first interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device and the first port of the first data telecommunications device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

powering the redundancy selection device with inline power obtained from at least one of the first data telecommunications device and second data telecommunications device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

notifying a network control point of said detecting.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said notifying is performed using the wired data telecommunications network to send a message from the redundancy selection device through at least one of the first data telecommunications device and the second data telecommunications device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said notifying is performed using a wireless telecommunications link from the redundancy selection device to a wireless node coupled to the wired data telecommunications network, and from the node to the network control point.

8. A redundancy selection apparatus for providing redundancy to a port of a wired data telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:

means for coupling a first interface of a first port of the apparatus to a first port of a first data telecommunications device;

means for coupling a second interface of the first port of the apparatus to a first port of a second data telecommunications device;

means for coupling data and/or power received over the first interface of the first port of the apparatus to provide data and/or power to a third interface of the first port of the apparatus;

means for detecting a failure in the flow of data and/or power; and

means for activating the apparatus in response to a failure detection by said means for detecting to subsequently use data and/or power received over the second interface of the first port of the apparatus to provide data and/or power to the third interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

means for providing identical data signals (excepting portions of signals unique to the first data telecommunications device and the second data telecommunications device) to the first port of the first data telecommunications device and to the first port of the second data telecommunications device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

said failure detection means operates to detect a failure in the flow of data and/or power between the first interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device and the first port of the first data telecommunications device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for powering the apparatus with inline power obtained from at least one of the first data telecommunications device and second data telecommunications device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for notifying a network control point of a failure detection by said means for detecting.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for notifying operates by using the wired data telecommunications network to send a message from the apparatus through at least one of the first data telecommunications device and the second data telecommunications device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for notifying operates by using a wireless telecommunications link from the apparatus to a wireless node coupled to the wired data telecommunications network.

15. A system for providing redundancy for a port of a wired data telecommunications network, the system comprising:

a redundancy selection circuit having at least a first port, said port having a first interface for communicating with a first telecommunications device and a second interface for communicating with a second telecommunications device, and a third interface; and

a controller operable to;

set an initial mode of operation for the system wherein the system couples signals to and from the third interface of the redundancy selection device to the first interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device;

detect a failure in Inline Power and/or data flowing to or from the first interface; and

responsive to said detection of a failure, reconfigure to couple signals to and from the third interface of the redundancy selection device to the second interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a network device coupled to via a first port to the first telecommunications device and via a second port to the second network telecommunications device and configurable to (except for the portions of signals unique to the first data telecommunications device and the second data telecommunications device) provide identical data signals via the first port to the first data telecommunications device and via the second port to the second data telecommunications device.

17. A system for providing redundant data and/or Inline Power to a port of a wired data telecommunications network, the system comprising:

a redundancy selection device having a first interface of a first port coupled to a first port of a first data telecommunications device, a second interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device coupled to a first port of a second data telecommunications device;

a controller operable to;

enter an initial mode wherein data received over the first interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device is coupled to a third interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device;

detect a failure in a flow of data and/or Inline Power received over the first interface; and

cause a change in state of the redundancy selection device in response to detecting a failure in the flow of data and/or Inline Power to subsequently couple data received over the second interface of the first port of the redundancy selection to the third interface.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a network device coupled to via a first port to the first telecommunications device and via a second port to the second network telecommunications device and configurable to (except for the portions of signals unique to the first data telecommunications device and the second data telecommunications device) provide identical data signals via the first port to the first data telecommunications device and via the second port to the second data telecommunications device.

19. A redundancy selection device adapted to be coupled to a first telecommunications device, a second telecommunications device and a third device, the redundancy selection device comprising:

a redundancy selection circuit having at least a first port, said port having a first interface for communicating with the first telecommunications device and a second interface for communicating with the second telecommunications device, and a third interface; and

a controller operable to;

set an initial mode of operation for the redundancy selection device wherein the redundancy selection device couples signals to and from the third interface of the redundancy selection device to the first interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device;

detect a failure in Inline Power and/or data flowing to or from the first interface; and

responsive to said detection of a failure, set a subsequent mode of operation for the redundancy selection device wherein the redundancy selection device couples signals to and from the third interface of the redundancy selection device to the second interface of the first port of the redundancy selection device.

20. The redundancy selection device of claim 19, wherein said redundancy selection circuit includes at least one data tap circuit.

21. The redundancy selection device of claim 19, wherein said redundancy selection circuit includes at least one power tap circuit.

22. The redundancy selection device of claim 19, wherein:

the first interface includes;

a first node and a second node adapted to be coupled to a first and a second conductor of a first pair of conductors;

a third node and a fourth node adapted to be coupled to a first and a second conductor of a second pair of conductors;

a first direct current (DC) blocking capacitor coupled between the first node and an anode of a first diode;

a second DC blocking capacitor coupled between the second node and an anode of a second diode;

a third DC blocking capacitor coupled between the third node and a cathode of a third diode; and

a fourth DC blocking capacitor coupled between the fourth node and a cathode of a fourth diode;

the second interface includes;

a fifth node and a sixth node adapted to be coupled to a first and a second conductor of a third pair of conductors;

a seventh node and an eighth node adapted to be coupled to a first and a second conductor of a fourth pair of conductors;

a fifth DC blocking capacitor coupled between the fifth node and an anode of a fifth diode;

a sixth DC blocking capacitor coupled between the sixth node and an anode of a sixth diode;

a seventh DC blocking capacitor coupled between the seventh node and a cathode of a seventh diode; and

an eighth DC blocking capacitor coupled between the eighth node and a cathode of an eighth diode; and

the third interface includes;

a ninth node coupled to the cathodes of the first and fifth diodes;

a tenth node coupled to the cathodes of the second and sixth diodes;

an eleventh node coupled to the anodes of the third and seventh diodes; and

a twelfth node coupled to the anodes of the fourth and eighth diodes.

23. The redundancy selection device of claim 22, further comprising:

a first power tap circuit coupled to receive a first common mode voltage from the first and second nodes and, through a first switch, inject that voltage with a second power tap circuit at the anodes to the first and second diodes;

a third power tap circuit coupled to receive a second common mode voltage from the third and fourth nodes and inject that voltage with a fourth power tap circuit at the cathodes to the third and fourth diodes;

a fifth power tap circuit coupled to receive a third common mode voltage from the fifth and sixth nodes and, through a second switch, inject that voltage with a sixth power tap circuit at the anodes to the fifth and sixth diodes; and

a seventh power tap circuit coupled to receive a fourth common mode voltage from the seventh and eighth nodes and inject that voltage with an eighth power tap circuit at the cathodes to the seventh and eighth diodes.

24. The redundancy selection device of claim 23 wherein the first switch is adapted to be off when the second switch is on and the second switch is adapted to be off when the first switch is on.

25. A method for verifying the integrity of a pair of conductors in a first link of a wired data telecommunications network, the method comprising:

transmitting over the first link a verification packet of data having a predetermined characteristic from a first transceiver coupled to the first link to a first receiver coupled to the first link;

monitoring the first link with a data tap device; and

checking for the transmission of the verification packet across the first link with the data tap device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining that the first link is bad if said checking fails to detect the passage of the verification packet.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

substituting the first link with a second spare link if said determining concludes that the first link is bad.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

notifying a network control point that the first link is bad.

29. A system for verifying the integrity of a pair of conductors in a first link of wired data telecommunications network, the system comprising:

means for transmitting over the first link a verification packet of data having a predetermined characteristic from a first transceiver coupled to the first link to a first receiver coupled to the first link;

means for monitoring the first link; and

means for checking for the transmission of the verification packet across the first link.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for determining that the first link is bad if said means for checking fails to detect the passage of the verification packet.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for substituting the first link with a second spare link if said means for determining concludes that the first link is bad.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for notifying a network control point that the first link is bad.

33. A method for operating a selector device coupled over a first link to a first redundant network device and over a second link to a second redundant network device, the method comprising:

causing the first redundant network device to carry out a self-diagnosis test;

causing the second redundant network device to carry out a self-diagnosis test;

checking the links between the first redundant network device and the selector device;

checking the links between the second redundant network device and the selector device;

determining if the first redundant network device or its links to the selector device have a failure condition and/or if the second redundant network device or its links to the selector device have a failure condition;

responsive to said determining, notifying a network control center if a failure condition is detected; and

choosing one of the first redundant network device and the second redundant network device to be active based upon it not having a failure condition associated with it or its links to the selector device, and, in the absence of any failure condition, choosing one of the first redundant network device and the second network device to be active based upon a predetermined default setting.

34. A system for operating a selector device coupled over a first link to a first redundant network device and over a second link to a second redundant network device, the system comprising:

means for causing the first redundant network device to carry out a self-diagnosis test;

means for causing the second redundant network device to carry out a self-diagnosis test;

means for checking the links between the first redundant network device and the selector device;

means for checking the links between the second redundant network device and the selector device;

means for determining if the first redundant network device or its links to the selector device have a failure condition and/or if the second redundant network device or its links to the selector device have a failure condition;

responsive to said means for determining, means for notifying a network control center if a failure condition is detected; and

means for choosing one of the first redundant network device and the second redundant network device to be active based upon it not having a failure condition associated with it or its links to the selector device, and, in the absence of any failure condition, choosing one of the first redundant network device and the second network device to be active based upon a predetermined default setting.

35. A method for verifying the integrity of a pair of conductors in a first link of a wired data telecommunications network, the method comprising:

transmitting over the first link a series of verification packets of data having predetermined characteristics from a first transceiver coupled to the first link to a first receiver coupled to the first link;

monitoring the first link with a data tap device; and

checking for the transmission of the series of verification packets across the first link with the data tap device.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

determining that the first link is bad if said checking fails to detect the passage of the series of verification packets in a correct order.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

substituting the first link with a second spare link if said determining concludes that the first link is bad.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

notifying a network control point that the first link is bad.

39. A system for verifying the integrity of a pair of conductors in a first link of wired data telecommunications network, the system comprising:

means for transmitting over the first link a series of verification packets of data having predetermined characteristics from a first transceiver coupled to the first link to a first receiver coupled to the first link;

means for monitoring the first link; and

means for checking for the transmission of the series of verification packets across the first link.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

means for determining that the first link is bad if said means for checking fails to detect the passage of the series of verification packets in a correct order.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising:

means for substituting the first link with a second spare link if said means for determining concludes that the first link is bad.

42. The system of claim 41, further comprising:

means for notifying a network control point that the first link is bad.